


Smoke Signals

by andromeda_starline



Series: XIX. The Sun [4]
Category: Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Backstory, Corpo V (Cyberpunk 2077), Cuddling & Snuggling, Dorks in Love, Established Relationship, F/M, Falling In Love, Fix-It, Johnny Silverhand: Millennial, Mentions of the past, Mild Swearing, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, Road Trips, Soft Johnny Silverhand, also you guessed it there are forehead kisses, bc V falls in love with Johnny more every day they're together, because I am a sucker for soft johnny, self-indulgent angst and fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:41:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29445726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andromeda_starline/pseuds/andromeda_starline
Summary: 'One of your eyes is always half-shut/ Something happened when you were a kid/ I didn't know you then and I'll never understand/ Why it feels like I did'---Johnny and V take a trip, discover more about each other in the process.
Relationships: Johnny Silverhand & V, Johnny Silverhand/V
Series: XIX. The Sun [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2140620
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	Smoke Signals

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from "Smoke Signals" by Phoebe Bridgers so you know this one is angsty. Basically, I just wanted to write a fic where Johnny and my V (Valeria) get to talk about their backstories. 
> 
> Anyways Happy Valentine's Day!

“You ever been to Texas?” The question came out of nowhere. Unprompted. She was patching up a busted cybermodem while he was noodling around on his guitar — playing a melody that was pleasant but foreign to her. 

“No, I haven’t?” V responded confused. Johnny stopped playing for a moment, lost in thought. Their condo filled with an almost deafening silence that made her ears pulse. 

“We should go,” Johnny replied, then resumed his playing. 

A week later, they headed to Texas. 

* * *

College Station was green and lush, a place that felt out of time to the Night City born and raised V. She was used to concrete structures, grime, and designated park spaces that still seemed to be littered with trash. “Been a while since I’ve seen this many trees in one place,” V said as she threaded her arm around Johnny’s. 

Johnny hummed, scanning the area they currently walked down. “There was a time there weren’t so many here either. Seems like Texas got a good deal out of everything.” 

“Where are we headed by the way?” V asked as they walked down the sidewalk. The two had been walking for a while. They started at the city's center, but soon the landscape had turned more residential. Buildings slowly turned into suburban-style houses, something V had never witnessed up close with her own eyes until now. She saw it in films before, the suburban lifestyle — white picket fences, station wagons, 2.5 kids, and a dog. Those were the things of fantasy to her. 

They walked in silence before Johnny stopped them right in front of a house. There was some wear and tear on the outside, mostly due to age, but it looked well kept. Someone was obviously living there. She assumed Johnny didn't know them, but this place had some significance. “Where are we?” She said looking up at him.

Johnny lit a cigarette, taking a slow drag from it. After a moment of silence staring at the house, he replied to her, “This is where I grew up.”

* * *

Johnny was rarely a quiet person. It seemed like he always had something to say, especially about himself. When they returned to their hotel room that night, Johnny was particularly silent. It was the type of silence that let V know he was lost in his own mind, his own thoughts. 

“You know,” V said as she laid in bed, “I don’t really know anything about your childhood. I never saw those memories when you were in my head.”

“Yeah?” He said gruffly. He was seated on the bed, taking his boots off. “Guess those were buried deep down. Don’t think I saw much of yours either.” 

V hummed turning on her side. Her hand raked through her hair, pushing it away from her face, “Well, let’s alleviate that,” She said, looking down at him. “Tell me about it. What were your parents like?"

Johnny sighed, laying down in the bed next to her, “Well, that’s complicated. Dad died when I was a kid, Mom even earlier than that. I was four I think?” Johnny stated it in such a matter-of-fact way it took V a bit by surprise. She used to be able to feel his emotions, caught some of his thoughts and memories — why did she never know about this?

“Wow, I'm...sorry,” she whispered unable to think for a moment, not sure what to say at that moment. Johnny looked unfazed, but from under his mask, she could feel his true emotions brewing. Sometimes she wondered why he tried to hide them so much from her. The former Rockerboy wanted to be so _damn_ strong all the time. “Do you remember your mom at all?” V asked.

“No,” he said, turning on his side so they were facing each other. V reached her hand up, resting tentatively on his neck. 

“And your Dad?” She asked.

“He was a hard ass, military man, from what I can remember.” Johnny’s hand rested on her hip, encouraging her to draw in closer to him. “Think he’s half the reason I joined the military. Some way to honor him.”

“When did he die?” V stroked her thumb on his cheek methodically.

“When I was six. Raiders. Spent some time with nomads before signing up for the military, but you know all that stuff right?” V nodded. She knew of his military time. They had conversations about it in the past and the rest of his time after he first arrived in Night City. His dog tags still found a place on her neck. 

She had a flash in her head — an image of a small figure looking out a broken window. She could see the faint outline of their reflection within the shards still clinging to the frame. A dark tangle of hair framing their face. He was completely alone. Did one of his childhood memories get through? Somehow locked deep down within her own? She shook the feeling off.

“Didn’t know you grew up with the nomads though. Thought that was just after, you know…” She trailed off trying to avoid saying Alt’s name. Still a sore spot for both of them. 

“Yeah, took me in when my parents kicked it.” He sighed. “Not much to say there. Lot’s of moving from place to place. They taught me how to shoot a gun, strum on a guitar. Got out as soon as I could join the military.” V thought about Panam and the Aldecaldos. Somehow she felt Johnny’s experience wasn’t as well-loved and free as that. It was something more strict — like he was a guest just visiting instead of one of the clan.

“Your parents, still alive right?” He asked. 

His question knocked her out of her reveries. V nodded again, breaking eye contact. “Yeah, but we don’t talk.” V’s hand found its way back to his hair, twisting a strand between her fingers playfully. “Had nannies before I was old enough for school. Then I was basically raised by The Way — until middle school at least.” 

“The Way?”

“Boarding school essentially.” She said, turning the strand over and over between her index finger, “To train us corpo kids into well-oiled, beautiful, corpo machines. You know, they tried to get rid of my freckles once?“ V scoffed at the thought. 

“Your freckles? What?” He asked, confused by her statement.

“Yeah, they had a whole medical staff. Parents would send their kids there for an education and could leave with an entirely different looking kid. I had one teacher who would constantly try to convince me to get them bleached off. I was nine.”

“Jesus V, that’s fucked up.” His hand moved to the small of her back, her face inching even closer to his, her still prominent freckles in full view, “How’d you get them to back off?”

“Hacked into the school system and blackmailed them,” she said matter of factly. Johnny snorted trying to suppress a laugh which caused V to erupt into giggles. “It’s not that funny, unfortunately. They praised me for my tenacity. Said I would _fit in perfectly_ in the corpo workforce. Plus, they still teased me mercilessly. Both students and teachers said they were ugly.” 

“Fuck ‘em V,” Johnny said, eyes catching hers, “they’re beautiful. For corps, everything is an accessory, even kids.”

“You’re not wrong," V sighed. "You know, when I was a kid, there was this rumor that some parents sent their kids away to this place where they were put to sleep, raised in a machine. They force-fed information and education into them until they came out as fully-fledged adults. They used to say that’s what happened to naughty kids. When my parents sent me to The Way, I thought that’s what was going to happen to me, sobbed the whole trip there.” 

V’s hand found its way back to his hair, raking through the silky strands. For a middle-aged former rockerboy/terrorist, he really had the most luxurious mane. “Thanked my lucky stars when I realized it was just a boarding school. Tried my best at every turn to get kicked out though. Convinced my parents when I was 12 I could handle myself at home. So I came home, went to private school, raised myself basically.” 

“You resent them for it?” Johnny asked.

“Sure sometimes, but no, not really. I’m sure they love me in their own way, but they do a really shitty job of showing it.” She turned her head slightly, feeling a pang of sudden guilt building up in her. “It’s pretty privileged I guess. I got to grow up with them. They practically provided me with anything I could ever dream of. Unlike most.” She tried to keep it general. _Think about the others in Night City too,_ she thought, but that memory of that small boy all on his lonesome came into full view in her mind. 

“Don’t cry a river for me, babe.” His hand making its way up to her shoulder, giving it a quick caress, “I made out just fine. ’Sides we got each other now.”

V hummed as Johnny placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, pulling her in closer, “Let’s change the subject,” he said. “Favorite film, go.” 

“Really?” V quirked her eyebrow up slightly, a smile starting to form on her face. She looked at Johnny who looked at her awaiting her response. “Well, it’s kinda embarrassing.” It was Johnny’s turn to raise his eyebrows up. “It’s Maids of Satan?” V said, her cheeks starting to burn red. 

“Really?” Johnny laughed

“Yes really! I like historical fiction, and it’s good!” She said, resisting the urge to bury her face in the pillows.

“Yeah if you like blood and tits,” he murmured.

“Well, that’s right up your alley Johnny. What’s yours? One of the Bushidos?” V asked.

“My tastes are a bit more refined, thank you very much,” he huffed, putting on an act to get her to giggle. She just pouted back at him, hiding a smile. “Ever heard of Wayne’s World?” he asked.

“You’re joking,” V stifled a guffaw, “That old ass film?” 

“Hey, it wasn’t that old when I watched it. It’s a classic!”

“I’ll take your word for it,” V smiled, “I don’t even think you can find a copy out in the world anymore, just old rocker farts quoting it.”

“Harsh V,” Johnny pulled her in even closer which caused V to jump and laugh, “What’dya say? Think you can go deep net and scrounge a copy up? Think you’d like it, it’s _most excellent._ ”

Their noses were touching, smiles on both of their faces. Wild to think that just a few moments ago, they were spilling their guts, her on the verge of tears. “Oh yeah, what’s in it for me?” She teased. 

Johnny gave her a toothy grin as he pounced on her, shifting the weight on the mattress, and caging her in-between his broad shoulders. “Think I have a few ideas,” he said before bringing her into a deep kiss.

* * *

He was right. V enjoyed the film more than she ever expected she would. A part of her mostly took enjoyment in Johnny’s own rapt excitement. As she laid in his arms, she stole glances at him. V saw the edges of his face soften. His gruff exterior seemed to melt away into something more child-like. Johnny was correct in saying their childhoods were lost, but at least they had each other now. Sometimes, if she squinted though, she could see his true self that laid underneath. In due time, they would reveal all their secrets to each other. 

For now, she was glad they had Texas. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! So, I'm not 100% what Johnny's actual backstory is but I based this one in my fic on his backstory on a Cyberpunk wiki I saw, so if this isn't accurate well, hey it's an AU!


End file.
